Field of Dreams
by Caliphae
Summary: Sakura Mikan. The world knows her as their popular idol, Gakuen Alice knows her as a Alice user with Nullifying powers. Some knows her as Z's best field agent and spy. But in the end, is it really Natsume who knows her best?
1. Prologue: Ready yourself

Hello! This fic was started before my current one, Little Cinderella, but it kinda slowed down. But now I'm picking it back up again! Mostly because it's relatively shorter than LC, and I discovered that having two stories go on at once is great for the muse. Seriously. And I know this chapter's a little short, but this is literally my first chapter since I've done that stupid one shot for Ouran years ago... .

But this is just a test run for this fic. I'll be judging on whether or not people want to read it by your reviews, just like I did in LC. So depending on the responses, I'll upload other chapters. If no one likes it though, I guess I'll just leave it and forget about it :(

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice. Oh boy, but if I did, I'd totally make Natsume do a complete strip and parade around in a dress.

Prologue: _Ready Yourself_

"Don't be hasty."

"Wait for the signal."

"The signal…"

Huddled against the slimy wall of a brick building were four dark figures. One of them put a restraining hand on the shoulder of the smallest one.

"We must wait for the signal."

The hand was shaken off. "It's late."

"Maybe she's having difficulties securing the combo for the key."

"She has 5 minutes. It's plenty of time."

"…" Two figures crept further out to spy on a group of hard faced men. Another man stood next to them in a somber black suit, alert for any signs of disturbances. They ignored him, and kept their eyes on a woman in a short, clingy dress. One of them, Shiki, turned his head around and mouthed "Not yet."

The restraining hand went out again. "Watch out for him. The one in the black suit has teleportation and gravity. If he crushes you before you can steal both of them, then I'll come after you."

Mikan brushed a loose pigtail over her shoulder. "Don't underestimate my nullification alice, _mother_."

"That's Commander to you."

The two spying on the group suddenly stiffened. The woman they were watching suddenly touched the arm of the man with the suitcase, and let out a loud bawdy laugh.

"Now!"

Mikan walked out, her eyes unfocused and confused. She slipped on a puddle of something she didn't even want to think about, and continued to weave down the alley towards the group. They watched her, surprised.

"Um…hello." She bit her lower lip, and brushed nervously at the little ruffles that hemmed in a cute pink skirt. A little bag in the shape of a bear dangled from the other hand.

The woman was about to walk forward when the man in the dark suit stopped her. "I'll handle it. Just in case." He turned back to Mikan. "And how can I help you, ojou-chan?"

"My mother." Tear welled up and spilled from Bambi eyes. "I can't seem to find her. She said something about waiting for her outside while she picks up a drink. But it's been hours…"

One of the men grunted in disgust. "Who leaves a kid outside of a bar?"

Mikan started to cry in earnest. "She left with a man in a car, and I tried to follow but…"

"It's ok, ojou-chan." The man in the dark suit came forward and picked her up. "We'll take you to someplace safe."

"Do you promise?" She smiled when he nodded. "You're a nice person, Shidou-san."

"What?!"

She held out her hand for the man to see, where in her palm were two small blue stones.

At the same time, an explosion boomed behind them. The man didn't even have time to be surprised seeing his alice stones taken out before a hard chop at the back of his neck felled him. Mikan ran off like a cat, and gripped Shiki's hand. They teleported away without looking back. Within seconds, everyone was back at a plush room that served as headquarters for Zero.

Yuka strode over to the woman in the red dress. "Do you have the briefcase, Kaoru?"

"Yes". She hesitated. "Mikan, wouldn't you like a nice bath? That was a pretty dirty alleyway." She forced a smile. "Be a good girl and I'll have a present for you later. For your birthday."

Yuka stiffened at that, and everyone else averted their eyes. Mikan shook her head. "I'm not that dirty."

"Nonsense." She was being pushed to the door. "Go pamper yourself a little. After all, a girl doesn't turn 8 everyday."

"…I guess not".

She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, while the other four gathered around the case and took out packets of cocaine, trying hard not to notice the way Yuka's fist clenched. Mikan continued down a hallway, singing softly. Loud enough for herself to hear, and no other. Especially mother.


	2. Sakura Mikan

Awww, I guess this isn't a very well liked story huh? :(. Well, here's to giving it another chance!

Disclaimer: Don't own Gakuen Alice. What a damn shame.

Chapter 1: _Sakura Mikan_

Imai Hotaru, the second best student for her grade at Gakuen Alice, held the longest running championship for having the most unflappable personality. But even the legendary poker face couldn't hold up against the news that reached the ears of 200 students at the same time.

Sakura Mikan, famous pop idol and the most known face on the television set, was an Alice.

And she was coming here.

She tuned out the current student body representative, who had to shout over gasps and shrieks. "As you all know, it is not an ordinary circumstance for a student to be admitted in so late in their lifetime. I hope you'll all treat her with due respect as a new student to our school, and make her feel as welcome as you can."

_Why are you leaving? You said that you'd stay forever._

"…Sakura Mikan! Isn't she fifteen?"

"I'm so excited! We're going to have an idol as a schoolmate."

"What's so special about her that she gets a whole preparation ceremony-"

_Don't leave me Hotaru._

"Wonder what her Alice is?"

"Her? She probably has a pheromone Alice, being a starlet…"

_At least let me go with you-_

A running figure, face red with exertion and tears-

_Hotaru!_

The auditorium burst into cheers and applause as Mikan walked onto the stage.

Mikan was fatigued before class had even started for her. She had heard of Gakuen Alice of course, and had even wanted to go before. But not anymore.

And not like this.

She knew what she had to do, and was prepared do it. She had grown very good at her job as a Zero agent for the past few years, not out of necessity, but just because.

Just because. As good a reason as any.

Mikan had no other that she was willing to admit. So she stuck with just because.

This academy… Mikan tried to remain calm and collected, even with the annoying teacher by her side. She tuned out his cheerful analysis of the school, instead choosing to rely on her own observances. Inside a pocket that she'd stuck her hands into earlier, she typed away at a small pad another Zero agent had created for her. It could record sound as well as visual, with about a thousand other functions, but Mikan preferred to lay it out using her own shorthand.

_[Grand and slightly pretentious. What kind of a school for kids needs a chandelier in the lobby? 8 main buildings in school grounds, 15 dorms, 3 gates on the main wall of the property facing north. Have not had a chance to look at the full perimeter of the property. Will do so at a later time.]_

"Mi-kan-chan!"

Tsk. "Sorry sensei~! The school's so pretty that I got distracted for a moment."

"Ah, that's understandable". Narumi-sensei bent down to smile at her. She found it incredibly irritating. "And it's a great compliment from a star such as you."

"But it's true nonetheless". She smiled back at him, left hand still busy typing observations on her pad.

Narumi gave her a tour of Gakuen Alice's elementary and high school branches, all the while asking her questions about herself. Mikan just smiled and nodded, even though she already knew that the elementary wing housed kids as young as babies, and that the high school building were rumored to have a wormhole leading outside. She didn't bother telling Narumi that it was true.

"Now, Gakuen Alice also has its own currency and star rankings, based on your overall ability and how hard you work academically." Narumi explained. "The star ranking goes from 1 to 3, with a special ranking after that."

"So it's a caste system."

"Haha. Maybe." Narumi paused. "It's not meant to define you as a person here, Mikan-chan".

_But people do it anyways. _"Of course not, sensei~!".

Narumi clapped a hand on her shoulder. Mikan had to work hard to control the urge to sock him. "Atta girl!"

They entered the junior division, where Narumi took her to the teacher's lounge. She started to feel nervous. _Showtime._

"I can't think of anything more to tell you, Mikan-chan, but I've called for two student representatives to show you to your new classroom. They'll tell you everything else that I've forgotten to mention." Narumi gave one of his strange pauses again, and stared at her. He no longer looked like a foolish happy-go-lucky teacher, and Mikan had the weird sensation that he looked…sad? "Welcome to Gakuen Alice, Sakura Mikan. I hope that you'll be happy here."

_Something's up._ He looked as if he was looking at someone else when he said that. Feeling oddly disturbed, she said"But of course sensei! I already feel like an Alice student here".

The weird tension vanished all of a sudden, and Narumi grinned before boyishly pulling on one of her signature pigtails. "That's a cute hairstyle, by the way."

_Argh! What is WITH this man? _

And although Narumi didn't know it, he'd just signed his own name on Mikan's hit list. In blood.

There were suddenly a knock on the door, and it opened slowly to reveal two girls. Mikan stiffened when she saw straight black hair and wide purple eyes. She hadn't prepared for this.

Hotaru faltered on the threshold, trying to take in Mikan's brassy blonde hair and wide green eyes in stride. _She might be a pop star, _Hotaru told herself. _She might have a new appearance and a new last name. But she's still my best friend isn't she? There is no way that under all of that, that she's not the Sakura Mikan I know. But…_

_I must relieve this tension, _Hotaru thought in desperation.

Mikan, however, thought something else different. _Must keep her out of this._

"Hello". Mikan gave a wide grin at Hotaru and Anna. "So they are to be my new classmates?"

"Yes." Narumi pointed at one of them. "This is Umenomiya Anna" he explained.

"Sakura-chan. Ah, it's an honor to meet you." Anna, a cute pink haired girl, stammered and blushed while she said this. Mikan just had to smile. She took both of Anna's hands. "It's nice to meet you too, Umenomiya-san". Narumi continued his introductions. "And this…is Imai Hotaru. They're both from Class B."

"I hope you'll both be good friends."

_What irony._ Mikan didn't know whether or not to throw her sudden anger at Hotaru or cry. Hotaru, her best friend. Hotaru, who promised her that they'll grow up together, who promised that she'll be the last person to ever leave, ever.

Hotaru, that liar.

"Imai-san, is it?" Mikan smiled at Hotaru. Hotaru looked stricken. That wasn't a smile of a best friend to another. "You're so pretty Imai-san. Yes, I do hope that we'll come to be good friends."

Mikan had taken both of Hotaru's hands just as she had with Anna. Hotaru looked at their hands, and then at Mikan's impersonal smile. It wasn't one she was familiar with. "Mikan-chan?"

She saw Mikan frown a little at that. "Yes?"

"Have you forgotten me?"

_Not for a single day._ "Have I? I don't seem to remember you."

Hotaru started to get angry. She didn't believe that Mikan could just forget her like that. Not after all the time she'd spent thinking of Mikan, and missing her. "So stardom makes strangers out of old friends, huh?"

"Hey now." Hotaru wasn't the only one getting angry. _I'm doing this for you, stupid! _"I'm sorry, but I meet a lot of people. I can't help not remembering each face, but" she winked "I'll try harder from now on. Especially yours, Imai-san".

"There's no need." Hotaru turned away. "Anna, please take her back. To the classroom." She didn't even glance back at Mikan as she started to walk away. "I need to stop by the bathroom to wash the slime off."

"Imai!"

She ignored Narumi and walked out.

"O-h boy…" He expelled a breath, gave Mikan and Anna an apologetic smile. "Something must have bothered Imai. She doesn't usually act like that. Sorry, Mikan-chan."

"It's alright." Mikan pulled up years of acting to cover her face with confusion, and not a little insult. Inside she felt like curling up and crying. With an effort, she turned to Anna. "Shall we go?"

"Ah! Um…Yes, let's go."

When Mikan stepped into Class B, everyone was in a uproar. "It's Sakura Mikan!"

"Look, she's wearing her pigtails."

"She really is pretty."

"Sakura Mikan! Sakura Mikan!"

"Ah…hello!" Mikan tried to feign reasonable surprise at the floating bodies in the air, and the other various Alice activities that was going on inside a classroom. "So this is Alice?"

"Yeeees!" Bodies started to crowd around her. "Could we have an autograph, Mikan-chan?"

"Ah-"

"What's your Alice, Mikan-chan?"

"It's-"

"Sing us a song, Mikan-chan!"

_Since when have I been on close terms with you fools? _"Maybe later." Mikan said, and smiled. "I wouldn't want to show off on day one."

They giggled, as if she said something funny.

Mikan kept her smile in place, and started to scan the room discreetly. The corner of her eyes fell on a group at the back of the classroom, isolated from everyone else. She kept them at the group as she continued to chatter and giggle with her new classmates.

Kept them on a boy at the center of the others.

A girlish voice piped up suddenly "He's very handsome, isn't he? That's Hyuuga Natsume-san."

_Damn._ Someone must have noticed her discreet glances. A fresh outburst of giggles rang out, while some of the boys surrounding her looked disappointed. "Damn Hyuuga" one of them said morosely. "He gets all the luck".

Mikan pulled up a blush, and snuck her hands back into her pocket. _Hyuuga Natsume, codename Black Cat. Height 5'8", estimated weight 140lbs. Class B25. Notes: Kaoru-san's son. Probably wears contacts judging from his eye color. _She opened her mouth to deny it when the teacher suddenly burst into the classroom and ordered everyone to settle down. More giggles erupted.

Rouka-sensei, as she was called, was a short, petite blonde woman who ruled her homeroom class with an iron fist. Literally. Her Steel Alice was made apparent as a whoosh of displaced air signaled the appearance of a gigantic metallic hand looming over the classroom. "Quiet, or I'll drop this on the lot of you".

The giggles stopped abruptly. They knew that from anyone else but Rouka-sensei, it might be a bluff, but past experiences with a stormload of metallic hail as taught them to mind her, if nothing else.

For the following days, Mikan went around detailing as much of the Academy's layout as she could while trying to maintain a normal appearance to her classmates and teachers. So far there was no problems; everyone adored the superstar.

Except, Mikan thought ruefully, for Hotaru. But it's better to be ignored, even hated, than to put Hotaru in danger. That, she could not do.

Mikan could only put a mask over any regrets, and continue to smile. She had a job to do.

_"Mikan-chan". Mikan was sitting in a chair, surrounded by adults. Her mother sat closest to her. They were having a meeting._

_"Mikan-chan, it's very important that you do this properly. We're going to stage an Alice kidnapping attempt on you. We know that one of your bodyguards recently graduated from Gakuen Alice; he's going to recognize Shiki, who's going to be the one to pretend to kidnap you."Mikan noticed that Kaoru-san was only talking to her. It seems as though the other adults were told of this before._

_Yuka spoke up. "It is crucial that you don't mess this up. If everything goes as it should, the guard will contact Gakuen Alice and tell them to…to register you."_

_"So I'll be going to Gakuen Alice?"_

_"Yes." This time, it was quiet Shiki who spoke up. "We've been thinking over this for a while now. Mikan-chan, you know that this is the best way."_

_She didn't answer._

_There was a small sigh from Shiki. "We tried to come up with another way to infiltrate the school, and while we do have someone placed there, we need a student. This is why we've had you become famous; it's to protect you if you ever were to be placed in Dangerous Class. You'll understand later."_

_Mikan nodded obediently. She already understood why. But it didn't bother her that the adults she grew up with constantly underestimated her. She was too used to it._

_And she was too used to being a tool of Z. So she didn't really mind._

_"It's not like you'll be alone there" Kaoru said bracingly. "One of us will be stationed near you, to help you with the mission." She turned around as she spoke, and drew out a box. "Here's a going away present."_

_It opened to reveal a multitude of stones in a million different hues of the rainbow._

_"Your mother…Yuka, she collected them all."_

_"You're to use them as you see fit" Yuka said. "They're to help you. They're not toys."_

_Shiki gave another small sigh. "Yuka…really. It's not going to hurt to say that you'll be worried" He pointed to the largest stone in a clear aquamarine. "That's your mother's by the way. It's her Teleportation Alice."_

_Mikan's lips trembled, before they heard a soft whispered "Thank you".  
_

***

Although every student in Gakuen Alice was dazzled by their good fortune at having Sakura Mikan as a classmate, there was one that wasn't as joyous. Ruby red eyes tracked the movements of "Mi-chan" (as her classmates were wont to call her) while lines wrinkled at the owner's brow.

Nor has his seemingly casual observances gone unnoticed. His cronies had developed a bad habit of snickering at him. "Natsume-sama's gone star-struck!".

"Shut up, idiot, before I set your hair on fire".

It only served to deter them for a few minutes.

Natsume didn't know why he was so fascinated with her. No, that wasn't the right word. It was more like…curious. Yes. She had an oddly graceful way of moving that was very familiar to him, as well as some movements that struck a chord. More like he's seen her before, but can't think of how. Or where. Or even why. And it made him uncomfortable.

All he knows is that he's going to be keeping a close watch on Sakura Mikan.


	3. Hyuga Natsume

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Gakuen Alice. But sometimes, when I'm sleeping at night and dreaming about being rich enough to buy the rights to all my favorite mangas....sigh.

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Chapter 2: _Hyuga Natsume-san_

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One of the provisos of Mikan attending Gakuen Alice was for her to be able to go to the outside world to attend to a few jobs as a celebrity. Normally, the academy would have vetoed against it; a student was too weak to avoid the dangers of the outside. Or at least, that was the official excuse.

But Mikan had made her case with an eloquence not seen in much of her contemporaries; she had bodyguards, and if worst comes to worst, she had her weak but nonetheless effective nullifying Alice. She plied her tear filled eyes at them shamelessly, and that had ultimately helped to persuade the school to let her out on these excursions.

The mind-control Alice stone clutched in her hand probably didn't hurt much.

Fingering the stars pinned to her left lapel, Mikan couldn't control a slight sneer from curling her mouth. Yuka had described Gakuen Alice and everything pertaining to it to her long ago, and the level system wasn't excluded. She knew that the academy didn't care about her "weak" nullifying Alice- if anything, they seem relieved that her Alice wasn't developed and could only protect herself for a couple of seconds. She knew that it was her fame that netted her three stars, and as far as the academy was concerned, the more they underestimate her intelligence and her Alice, the better it was for her.

She walked to her classroom in time for lunch. They didn't take lunch in a common cafeteria as other schools did, but was served by carts. Another annoyingly ostentatious way of doing things in Gakuen Alice, to Mikan's mind. Bodies shift as friends grouped together, most often in clusters of the same star levels.

"Sakura-san!"

The loud exclamation was punctuated by a pungent scent of strong perfume and sticky hair products. Mikan shifted her gaze to the idiot who nearly broke her eardrums.

Long dark hair curled in a natural perm around a sly triangular face and sharp eyes as pink glossed lips curled in a simpering smile. Mikan worked hard to control a shudder. "Yes?" She recognized the girl as the leader of a group of other girls that were all nearly as snobbish as she was. She didn't like them, but there was no excuse to not be friendly. _Goddamn social institutions. Whoever first made manners a rule rather than the exception needs to be shot._

"Today's lunch is broccoli cream soup." She made a delicate moue and wrinkled her nose. "We should sit next to the windows today. Natsume's group is there." She whispered gleefully. "If we're lucky, maybe he'll talk to us."

"Mmm." Shouda. That was her name. And didn't she say something about her being the self made president of some fan club of Hyuga's? Mikan's eyes slid over to the seats by the window, where indeed, Hyuga Natsume sat, ringed by his cronies. A couple seats over, she saw Anna and her friends sit, chatting merrily. One of them was knitting what looked like a wriggling tube in flashing greens and blues.

"Shouda-san, the window seats are already taken." Mikan said. "Maybe we should sit somewhere else instead."

"Don't be silly, Sakura-san." Her smile melted as she made a little finger wriggle. Three girls marched up to where she was, and they sashayed to where Anna's group was sitting. All four wore similar sneers. "Shove off, skanks."

The seats were hurriedly vacated as they gathered up their things and moved to the middle of the room. Mikan didn't miss the resentful looks the girls gave them. One of the three backing Shouda gave a satisfied sigh, and grinned. "They never learn."

Shouda strutted to the seat closest to the boys. "Hi Natsume-kun" she purred, in her best impression of a sexbomb. Her shadows fluttered and winked in triplicate, pouting glossed lips at the boys.

Natsume ignored her, his eyes tracked onto Mikan. He had expected her to follow the bubbleheads. But instead, she stood where they left her, her eyes following Anna's group. He saw her go over and place a hand on the girl's shoulder, her face apologetic before she turned to the cart to retrieve her own lunch. There, she was ambushed by other students who were too shy to approach Shouda's overpowering presense.

Shouda, perversely emboldened by Natsume's indifference, came closer. "Natsume-kun, you are so hot when you act like that." She bent over to trail her finger down his jacket, and he caught a strong whiff of her suffocating perfume. He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Get off me, hag." He shoved her aside, and walked out of the classroom.

"Oh, Natsume-kun, your indifference is just why I like you!" she squealed after him.

* * *

He walked down the path surrounding the middle school for a couple of minutes before stopping before the edge of the Northern Forest. "Omae…"

Behind him, Mikan feigned embarrassment. "Ah…gomen, Hyuga-kun. I thought you seemed a little mad, and I wanted to see if you were alright." She plucked at the edge of her skirt. "It's quite rude of me to follow you like that though. I'm very sorry."

His eyes narrowed, and he turned slightly. "Are you now? What's your exact reason for following me?"

"I said, I wanted to see if you were ok-"

"Cut the crap."

Her eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

He sneered. "You don't understand that? I guess what they say about idols being stupid's a true thing." He snapped his fingers, and a spark of blue flame popped out. His voice lowered to a growl. "Your goody goody routine won't work on me. So quit it before I turn up the temperature in here." A flick of his wrist produced a whip of fire that threatened to circle around her. "Capiché?"

She stepped back, and forced fear into her voice. "S-Stop it, Hyuga-kun! You shouldn't do that...I can stop you!" She raised her arms up, as if to block him physically.

"Hnn. Oh yeah. You have the Nullifying Alice." Another flick, and the whip was gone. He shrugged. "I'm too lazy to deal with you today. Consider yourself lucky…_Mikan-chan_."

He turned around and strode further into the forest.

Mikan straightened, her face wiped of emotion as she watched the retreating figure wander further in. "He's quite sharp, that Hyuga Natsume. Wouldn't you say, Rouka-sensei?"

"Well, he is my son after all." Blonde hair was smoothed back as she leaned against a nearby tree, her pinstriped suit accenting her slight figure. "Sometimes I think that he may have just inherited my Alice, but then his own comes out and then it's like seeing his father all over again. Thank god he has my face though."

"And your temperament." Mikan allowed a slight smile to tug at her lips. Kaoru was one of the few people in the world that she could relax a little with. "We'd be at a serious disadvantage if Hyuga-kun had your Memory Processing Alice, Kaoru-san."

"Ah, well." Rouka's image shifted, and grew taller. Blonde hair darkened and shrunk until it brushed shoulder blades as Rouka's body lost its curves. Attached to a chain around her neck were three different stones, each from three different Alice users. Shiki had contributed his Barrier stone willingly. The Metal and Illusion Alices were stolen forcibly from two young boys working under the Academy's dangerous division unit. "His sharp instincts makes up for it, I suppose."

"Now's no time to be proud of your son, Kaoru-san." Mikan muttered.

"Sorry Mikan-chan" she smiled. "Yuka's proud of you too, you know."

Mikan just shrugged. Yuka was a lot of things, but she preferred not to dwell on it. "Is your daughter here as well?"

Kaoru's smile faltered. "Oh. Yes, she is." Her flat tone had Mikan looking over in concern.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. No. Yes." She blew out a breath. "She's sick."

"Sick?"

Kaoru let out a humorless grin. "Yeah. I've been here for months, and I have barely seen her out or in school." She turned away, to hide the sharp glitter of tears. "Apparently, it wasn't only my exceptional good looks that was passed down to my children. They're both limitless Alice users too. Just like dear old Mom. And the Academy keeps making Aoi use her Alice. It wouldn't matter so much if she doesn't get so tired easily after each use…"

"So she's put under their hospital's permanent care?"

"No." Kaoru said, blinking furiously. "We don't know where the Gakuen has her. I think they use that to make Natsume do their dirty work. For all I know, she might be a permanent guest at the academy's research and testing center…"

Mikan knew that the academy had a testing center, where experiments are run to understand Alice users and Alice types.

"Kaoru-san, maybe if we find Aoi-san and move her to the outside-"

"No."

"But if we do-"

"Mikan-chan, don't be stupid. We're not moving Aoi. We cannot move Aoi. Those bastards aren't stupid, they'll figure out that there's a resistance faction in the school, and flush us out. We'll be no use to Z if we're discovered." Her fist clenched. "Our positions are too valuable to Z. I cannot put the needs of my daughter's above the resistance."

She stopped abruptly, realizing that this was the wrong thing to say. Mikan's face was once again blank, her eyes shadowed. "Wait, Mikan-chan, I didn't mean that-"

"It doesn't matter. You are right, Kaoru-san. We cannot jeopardize our positions. I'm sorry for speaking out of turn." She spun around. "Lunch period is over, Sensei. I'd better get back to class."

"Mikan-chan!" Kaoru cried, as Mikan teleported away.

* * *

Natsume moaned, and sat with his back against the wide trunk of a mature sycamore, skin clammy and hands cold. He had a hard time maintaining a calm façade, but it came close to breaking when he had threatened the teenybopper with his Alice.

His stomach suddenly heaved, and he turned his head to vomit up whatever little lunch he had eaten.

Lying back, he let the fever take its course through his system.

_Footsteps._

No, he was hallucinating, it was the fever-

_Brown eyes, wide and big._

_Hard faced men arguing about a little girl in a cat mask._

"_They think they're smart, coming up with a counterpart for Hyuga-"_

_Fire._

Natsume felt his skin shudder. It was goddamn freezing. Someone tell that idiotic Weather Alice to quit it with the cold air.

"_Uuugh! The Black Cat….he did this…"_

"_Quick, steal his Alice! Steal his Alice!"_

_Brown eyes looking down at him, shining from a white mask as a hand reached for his arm. He tried to jerk away, but the pain in his leg hampered him._

"_No!" He cannot let them do this. If he was finished, they'll use Aoi.  
_

"…_Azuma Yuka's daughter…but we don't know-"_

"_Hyuga can take care of her, can't you?"_

"_Yes."_

_That hand reaching for his arm again._

_Him jerking out of her weaker grasp, but not before a small stone appeared in the bitch's other hand, red as a ruby._

_Ghastly pain._

"How pitiable." Natsume was unaware of a girl standing by him, but slept on, his brows scrunched. A white handkerchief was tugged out from her pocket, and she started to soak up the sweat on his brow. "Perhaps this is why you're so grumpy all the time, Hyuga-san."

Blonde locks slid forward as eyes made green from contact lenses surveyed him. "It's only because you're Kaoru-san's son that I'm doing this, you know." A deep blue stone glowed as the girl pressed a hand gently against his forehead. She watched his face as it loosened and relaxed, and color returned to his cheeks. "That ought to do it." She straightened and turned away, walking back to the middle school division. "By the way, Hyuga-san." she said, a lightning fast grin crossing her face. "You're quite welcome."


	4. Bye Bye, Emotions

Hey guys! Well, the chapters are getting longer (how come this always happens?), so if you like longer chapters, then I guess that's good news huh? xD

But anyways, please, _please_, review. That's the only way I know if you guys like this story. For now, I'm having too much fun to ditch it (since the other one's not working out), but writing this story would be so much more fun if you guys find it fun too. Or enjoyable anyways.

Disclaimer: Don't own Gakuen Alice. What I wouldn't give to though!

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Chapter 3: _Bye Bye, Emotions_

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* * *

_

Mikan looked at the white mask she held in her hands with some distaste as she sat at the back of the white limo that stretched away from Gakuen Alice. "You'd think" she said slowly "that an Inventor Alice user could do something with this thing?"

Rouka, sitting at the back with Mikan as a Gakuen advisor and liaison, only shrugged. "It seems pretty cute to me. Better than paper maché." She forced a smile. "By the way, kindly refrain from showing your school friends that mask. We wouldn't want the Alice School of Witchcraft and Freakery on our ass."

Mikan just shrugged, and ignored the woman sitting next to her. She hated putting on the damn thing, hated running through blood and muck and what else with it on, hated it hated it hated-

Dammit.

She didn't like having cold wars with Kaoru-san either. Mikan drew up a small smile, calling on her years of acting experience.

"So, this mission." She peeled her fingers from the self sticking gel, and tossed the cat shaped mask aside. "What is it? Yuka didn't brief me." She ruffled her long blonde hair, done up in its customary pigtails. "All I got from her note was that it was a long term affair we're raiding on such short notice."

Rouka took out a dark greenish stone, and held it in the palm of her hand. "Sensory Alice" she explained. "There's already a barrier up, but just in case..." Satisfied, she snuck the stone back in her pocket, and reached forward to knock on the partition window. It lowered to reveal a man, driver's cap low over his eyes. "Is it secure?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Just making sure." She sat back down, and took off the Illusion Alice stone from her neck. "No, don't pull it back up. This is fine."

"This mission…is a sting op."

Both Mikan and the driver stared at her, the latter's eyebrows raised on the rear view mirror. "A sting op."

"Sorry" Kaoru smiled weakly. "I always wanted to say that."

It was embarrassing, but at least the ice broke.

"The mission, Kaoru-san."

She sighed. "Driver-san, you're such a wet blanket. Anyways. It's nothing big. Precisely. Just a little B&E."

A blonde brow rose. "We're scheduling a concert, putting to work half of the organization, moving me out, all for a little breaking and entering?"

"Hold your horses Mikan." Kaoru said mildly. "We're breaking into this warehouse in Yokohama."

"That's hours away."

"Thank the Gods for limousines." she returned drily. "Your Teleport Alice is already pretty advanced Mikan. You're able to teleport up to 100km the last time we tried it. Unfortunately" she continued "others can't do the same. Like Driver-san here." She pointed her index finger at him, thumb cocked.

"Best bet for me's only around half that" he said easily.

"Precisely. So while the rest of us sneak in closer to touch base, you'll be waiting at a hotel somewhere, sipping mimosas while the rest of us does the dirty work."

"Kaoru-san, I'm too young to imbibe alcohol."

"Oh. Well, nevertheless." she shrugged. "You'll have to memorize the layout of said warehouse. Oh, and here." She dug up a large yellow sheet, lined in blue, and a cell phone. "Catch. We'll call you. Normally, Yuka would have had you in the front lines with us, but we don't want to take the chance of having one of your classmates recognizing you. They have guards patrolling around, you see."

"That's fine. But Kaoru-san, you haven't explained why I'm needed, or what's inside this warehouse that made it such a priority."

"Well, wanna play a game, Mikan-chan? I call it "Guess who has which kids and what brainwashing going on at which place in which Japanese Prefecture."

"Ah."

"Ah. What a wealth of meaning in one tiny word." A photo of a young man, late twentyish, with red hair and earrings. "You know who that is."

"Reo? Is he one of the brainwashed?"

Kaoru smiled humorlessly. "Only if you replace that 'd' with an 'r'. Guy has a Voice Pheromone Alice, which is why he's such a wanted singer. Little twit" she added contemptuously. "He used to follow Narumi and his buddies all over the place."

"Narumi-sensei?" Mikan had barely gotten over the shock at the knowledge that world famous Reo, a popular idol just like her, was an Alice and a kidnapper before being slapped in the face with Narumi. "He's in on this?"

"He's part of the school after all. Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you that part. Reo's acting under school orders. And the kids they have trapped in there, well. They're half-forms."

"Half formed what?"

"Alices."

"What?"

"Children who sometimes have Alices that they can't manifest into the physical world" Kaoru explained "are called half-forms. Oh, they have Alice abilities. Just can't use it, for some reason. The school has the high school principal's Alice to pinpoint kids with Alice, but before they're taken in, teachers must see some proof of Alice from them. Those that doesn't use Alice, but are known to have them are then taken to several established points, and tested over and over again. The one we're going to, they're working on drawing their Alice out through brainwashing, hypnosis, and subliminal persuasion. See why Reo's so useful there?"

"I guess" Mikan said slowly. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. But she had to ask. "And what is it that Z wants me to do in this warehouse?"

"Take their Alices."

* * *

Yuka stood in position, goggles in place as her gaze encompassed the gigantic warehouse that housed one of Gakuen Alice's many facilities. Paid for and backed by the Japanese government.

"_Why Mikan? Why can't it be me?"_

"_You're in this too Commander. Mikan is merely supplementing you."_

"_Then just use me! Don't bring Mikan into this!"_

"_There's no choice. There are too much of them for you to handle alone within the time bracket. I'm sorry, Commander."_

She stared down at her gloved hands. Ghastly images filled her mind, herself when she was Mikan's age, standing by the bedsides of the old and elderly.

"_Shinigami-sama…please don't. Don't take my Alice. Don't take away my soul…"_

"_Do it Yuka."_

"_Please…onegai…"_

"_They have no use for it anymore. They don't deserve it. Take it away from them."_

She clenched her fists, knowing that there was no way she could keep Mikan from the horror. She had dragged her in too deep to stop. They were all in too deep to stop. A tear dropped on the leather of her glove, unnoticed.

"Sensei…"

* * *

"Mi-kan-CHAN! Mi-kan-CHAN!"

"Konnichiwa, Yokohama!"

They cheered.

Mikan, wearing a headset and a set of clothing twinkling with tiny stars, waved energetically. "Wow, this is awesome! I don't think I've ever seen a crowd this big and happy!"

"Mi-kan-CHAN! Daaaaaisuke!"

"Aw, you guys!" She blew a kiss and winked. "Wait, what's that? Time to get started? Well, you guys should have said so earlier!"

She twirled in front of the crowds, and started to belt out the happy songs that she was well known and loved for. "Ai ai ai ai, ban-zai, ai! Dai-su-ki-yo, darling!"

She sweated below the bright hot lights as her fans cheered her on, her smiles wide and full, signature twin tails flashing. Inside, her heart curled up and wept.

* * *

It was 21:00

She bundled up her dried hair in a black skullcap, dressed in gray wool and black boots. The cell phone was on the vanity table, next to a multitude of flowers she accepted from her eager fans three hours before. She hadn't bothered to put them in water.

21:10

There was a shiny metal locket on a string that came with a bundle of cheerful daisies that stood out among batches of roses. She remembered kissing the blushing giver on the cheek, before beaming him a smile and walking to the next fan, who eagerly offered her a dozen more blood red roses and a marriage proposal.

The card simply said "Please continue your good work, Mikan-chan! We love you!" It made her smile as she pulled the string into a loop through her belt before tucking the memento in a pocket.

21:20

The perfume of the roses were giving her a headache.

21:30

She pressed the gel of the cat mask firmly onto the skin of her face.

21:40

At 21:45, the phone vibrated. She took a deep breath, and fixing an image of the blueprint firmly in her mind, she teleported.

It was dark but clean as her eyes adjusted for the light difference. A dozen beds creaked under sleeping bodies as she sneaked past them to look out of the dingy window. Diversion was present in the form of several agents fighting against what looked like students and a few teachers from the school's special division. Mikan thought she recognized several of them from the high school division.

"Mikan."

She turned around, and Yuka was there, shaded goggles blocking her eyes. "I'll find Reo and steal his Alice first. You go work on the children. Hurry!" She shoved a bag at her before running out of the room.

Mikan took a deep breath, and moved to the nearest bed.

It didn't take long for her to finish with each body. An average Alice user only have on average one or two stones before their Alice is completely gone. More if the Alice is exceptionally strong. But Mikan was a fast worker, and soon, she was done with half of the room.

Her heart pounded as one of them shifted over, and the light from the window illuminated his face. "Mommy…Daddy…" he moaned. Mikan's heart stirred. He couldn't have been older than five.

Despising herself, she stole his Alice as he whimpered. Then, because she couldn't help it, she smoothed his blankets so that it lay beneath his chin before moving on to the next bed.

Kaoru had told her that the academy had not found a way to draw out their Alice potential yet, despite five year's worth of research since the government gave enough funding for it. Mikan had shook her head, confused.

"So why do they keep so many there? Why don't they just let them go?"

"They're waiting for another Steal Alice." She said simply. "Like Yuka's. Like yours. So you must never let them find out about it Mikan-chan. Ever."

Mikan had to laugh at the irony of it. Here they were, harvesting half-forms, waiting for someone to extract their Alices. And she, a student of the school, doing it! She wondered if they'd find it funny as well. Probably not.

Soon her bag was filled with smooth egg shaped stones, each identical to precious stones. Blood red rubies, delicate pink quartz, sapphire eggs, deep emerald, jade, lapis lazuli-

She couldn't bear to think of them.

As she reached the last bed, another boy of six sat up. He stared at her. "Kitty."

Saying nothing, Mikan took his arm, and started to siphon his Alice into her other hand. It was a deep blue, the same shade as his eyes.

He had the Teleportation Alice.

"Kitty." He had a thin, clear voice. "Kitty, Kei wants to go home."

She kept quiet.

"Please. Kei doesn't want to stay here. Kei wants to go home and stop okaa-san from crying."

His stone rounded and stopped growing. She tried to remove her hand, but the kid had grasped onto it.

"Please take me home, Kitty. Kei promises not to be bad. Honest. Kei will be good. Just let me go home to see if okaa-san's stopped crying."

She laid a hand over his wet eyes. "Sleep." He fell backwards without a murmur.

Tucking his stone and another she'd snuck out of her own pouch away, she closed the bag and turned to find Yuka…

Only to find that she wasn't the only one awake and wearing a mask in the room.

"Omae…"

Mikan had to smile. Natsume-kun was so predictable.

"We need to stop meeting like this, kuroneko-chan. People's gonna start noticing."

He said nothing as his eyes narrowed behind the slits of his own mask. A ring of fire suddenly surrounded her. She merely raised an eyebrow. "Your temper's the same. Always so filthy."

"It can get a lot worst if you don't return their Alice stones, Azuma-san."

Mikan blinked. "I really do look that old?" She grinned slyly. "That's no way to please a girl. And besides…"

She teleported and reappeared behind him. "I can always do this." She poked a finger at his back. "Tag. You're it, darling." Grin in place, she stepped back as he whirled around, furious.

Yuka stepped into view. "That's enough." She flashed cold eyes at Natsume, mouth curled in a sneer. "We don't have time to play with little kitty-cats. It's time to leave." With that said, she disappeared.

Mikan stayed behind, smirking. "Well, boss man calls. We'll continue this game next time."

He snarled, but before he could summon another ring of fire around her, she was gone.

"46 stones."

They were once again circled around the table.

"Don't forget these two." Yuka threw down stones in a shade reminiscent of pea soup. "Reo's. Unfortunately he woke up before I could completely drain his Alice away."

"It's a shame." Shiki rubbed a finger against his chin, his afternoon shadow scraping against his hand. "But this should mean that his Alice is considerably weaker than before."

"Yeah." As other agents shifted the stones around into their proper categories, Kaoru nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem for us anymore." She picked up one of the stones Mikan had taken from the half-forms. "Well, I guess their name is more spot on than they thought it'd be."

The stone was half as small as one of Reo's.

"They really were half-formed Alices."

"Which is why they can't call it out. Without the high school principal, they might have had a normal lifestyle." said one.

Yuka shrugged. "He couldn't have known. His Alice doesn't run to Alice strength, or else those kids would all be sorted before they stepped foot into the academy." She turned to see Mikan enter the room, her somber clothing replaced with her school issued sweater and skirt. She was paler than the wallpaper. "Mikan."

"Commander."

"If you're tired, you should rest. We need our agents sharp and focused."

"No, I suppose not." Mikan shrugged while everyone else exchanged glances. "But I don't feel sleepy yet. I request permission to stay."

"No. Go to sleep." Yuka said, dismissing her. She didn't have to see Mikan's face to feel the censure.

"As you wish. Good night Commander. Good night, guys."

"Night, Mikan-chan."

Shiki spoke up as the door closed. "Yuka, there's no need to be so hard with her. She's your daughter."

"That's no reason to require special treatment from me."

Kaoru jabbed an elbow at Shiki, and shook her head.

* * *

As the limo passed the gates of Gakuen Alice, Mikan could see throngs of kids cheering. She looked out in puzzlement. "Why are they all here?"

Kaoru, once again Rouka, grasped a silver stone in her hand. "They probably heard that you were coming back today."

"So? It's not like I'd be leaving anytime soon."

Driver-san opened the door, and Rouka stepped out. "Ok, ok, that's enough!"

"Mikan-chan!"

"I'm serious!" Silver pebbles appeared above them. A few of the elementary kids shrieked. "Go back to whatever you're doing before I lose my temper!"

The kids who have her classes were the first ones to run off as others dawdled. Mikan stepped out. "And I thought kuroneko's temper was bad. Yours is worst, sensei."

"I _am_ his mother."

She smiled and walked off, followed by throngs of kids as they ran after her, asking for a replay of her concert. She laughed and obliged them.

Back at her dorm room, Mikan shut the door and staggered to the bed. She fell hard on the comforter.

She tried to pretend, even now, that what Z does was for good. Tried to pretend that they were helping those poor boys, ripped from their parents and subjected to brainwashing. Tried to pretend that they weren't doing anything wrong.

But it was a lie, and she knew it. What Z has to do was just as bad as Gakuen Alice. They fought fire with fire, and in such cases, there was no such thing as a good side or a bad side.

Hyuga Natsume would understand, she thought. He's also forced to do someone else's dirty work, sacrificing his innocence and more. He was exactly like her. That's the only reason why she feels anything remotely like pity for him.

"Aw geeze." She buried her face in her pillow. This was getting to her in a bad way.

_Hotaru._

No, can't drag her into it. Must not drag her into it.

_But-_

"I said no." Mikan muttered to herself. She'll do the job Yuka wanted from her. And that's that. No breaking apart at this crucial stage.

But god, this is killing her. She sat up and opened the box that Yuka had given her, 5 months ago, before rooting around for a pinkish-purple stone. Grasping it in her hand, she waited until the moon rose high in the sky. A cloud passed over, shadowing the room in complete darkness, before moonlight shone down again to illuminate an empty room.

* * *

_Natsume looked around, confused. Either Persona had either drugged him, or had him killed in his sleep. _

_There was no way in hell he was simply dreaming._

_Instead of the usual grotesque faces that surrounded him in his sleep, burned to cinders and gushing up blood as empty sockets stared at him in sightless accusation, Natsume found himself atop a hill covered with grass, next to a grand oak. A river ran past them, full of sweet, clear water and silver scaled fish. _

_He turned around, waiting for the fish to jump up and turn into piranhas, or for the river of water to turn into blood. Maybe if he was lucky, the oak would just split in two and start gushing out fire, and after that he'll be allowed to wake up._

_Sigh. He was a sick, sick person._

_There was a trail of bright blue forget-me-nots, winding their way from the base of the oak towards the top of the hill, waving as if they were beckoning him. What the hell, Natsume thought. Might as well._

_He hiked up, following the trail. His body was fit and strong, and oddly flexible. He looked down at his hand. It was smaller than he was accustomed to._

_Bending over the river, he stared at his own reflection. His eyes were bigger, and there was a slight pudge to his cheeks. _

_He was looking at his ten year old self. Huh._

_The trail led him higher and higher until he reached the crown of the hill. The sun shined down from cloudless skies, and there were more trees._

_He found a lake that was the source of the river. Feeling thirsty, he bent down to drink._

_And saw her._

_Sitting on a fallen branch over the lake, she was weaving a wreath of tiny daisies onto a circle of twigs, bare feet swinging. She had on a dress that matched the color of the lake, and deep brown hair that caught the wind. He must have made some noise, for she looked up suddenly and stared right at him._

_She smiled. "Hello, Natsume-kun."_

"_How the hell do you know my name?" He asked, confused. But not wary. She didn't feel like an enemy._

_She shrugged, the white butterfly mask flashing at him. "Wanna come? The water's great."_

_He approached her, and she held up a hand for him. He took it and swung himself up._

"_Thanks."_

"_Sure." She smiled again, and went back to her weaving."You might as well relax, Natsume-kun. There's nothing to hurt you here."_

"_Huh." He looked around, unsure of himself. This was seriously weird. "How do you know that?"_

"_Well, it's your dream."_

"_My dream?"_

"_Mmhmm." She hummed a bit, and a brightly colored dragonfly came out to circle around her head. "It's your dream. You can do anything in your dream."_

"_If this is my dream, then why the hell are you here? Who are you?"_

_She turned to look at him directly, and he was struck by the brilliance of her stare. She had familiar brown eyes…_

"_I was feeling lonely, so I invited myself here. I hope you don't mind, Natsume-kun."_

"_I..I don't-"_

"_Great!" She started to hum again, and more dragonflies came out. Her fingers flashed as she twined more daisies around the circle of twigs she held in her hands. "Finished!"_

_She placed the wreath of daisies on top of his head. "Here, Natsume-kun. For you. As a thank you gift."_

_He fingered the wreath on top of his head, bemused."Thank you...I guess." Whoever you are.  
_

"_You're welcome." She stood up, and held out a hand again. "Well, as an introduction, this went quite well. But the sun will rise soon." He took it, and she pulled him up. She had strength for a little girl. "May I come back here again, sometimes soon?"_

"_Yeah. Sure." he said. "Whatever. Just don't be surprised if you see a lot of blood next time."_

_She laughed. "That's won't happen when I visit. Promise." _

* * *

He woke up, his ears full of her laughter as he groped his way up, disoriented and confused. That was one weird dream.

His head swiveled as he scented something. And saw a wreath of daisies lying on his desk.

* * *

Read and review please, I will be your virtual slave forever (or till next week) if you do xD


	5. Locked Girl

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating on Friday like I usually do, but I didn't have internet and so I couldn't do it. I'm really very sorry.  
Anyways, thank you guys so much for the reviews! Especially (*_*) for having reviewed all of them. Really, they make me squeal and interrupt my neighboring student who's diligently working on their chemistry lab instead of writing fanfics, but hey, fantasy chemistry. We win.

Well, here's Chap 4! Please enjoy...and review. ;)

Chapter 4:_ Locked Girl_

It was New Years.

Mikan, wrapped in a furisode, pulled a faux fur wrap around her shoulder, brushing curls out of the way. Apparently New Years was a big deal in Gakuen Alice.

Several girls who lived next to her dorm room were gathered, chattering and oohing over Mikan's clothing and makeup. "Ahh, it must be nice to be famous, when you get to wear stuff like this."

Mikan only smiled. "You can use it for today. I don't mind."

They squealed and started to squabble over her lip gloss and mascara.

A knock sounded at her door. One of the girls ran up to answer it. She pulled open the door. "Yeees?"

"Delivery for Sakura Mikan-san."

"Oooh. Mikan-chan, you have something here for you!"

Shouda, who was also in the room (much to Mikan's dismay), snatched the envelope from the girl and looked at it. "Huh. I wonder what this is? Mail usually comes in a batch for all of us."

The girl Shouda snatched the envelope from squealed again. "Well, it's Mikan-chan! She's special!"

The girls gathered around. "Open it, open it!"

"Guys," Anna, who Mikan had invited after everyone had already invaded, spoke up shyly, "it might be something private-"

"Shut up, Umenomiya-san" Shouda said bossily. Mikan felt her teeth clench together. "Go on, Mikan-chan. We won't tease if it's from your outside boyfriend."

"Yeah, come on Mikan-chan." they chorused.

Mikan threw up her hands in mock surrender. "Oh, alright. Knife please." One of the girls took a fruit knife that rested beside a bowl of fresh apples and handed it to her. She slit the envelope open.

Inside was a card.

"Dearest Sakura Mikan-sama." she read. "You are cordially invited to spend your New Year celebration with us…in the Hanahime den?"

At this point, the squealing intensified. "Omigosh, the Hanahime den!"

"Well, we should have been expecting this, it's Mikan-chan after all!"

"Beauty, talent, brains…yeah, she's a sure shoo-in!"

"Um, guys, I wouldn't take it that far…did you see my grades last semester?" Mikan said, laughing. "I swear, Rouka-sensei took one look at it, and it looked like she was about to cry."

She saw Shouda look at the card with some envy and longing. "Well, if it's the famous superstar" she said, working to control the jealousy in her voice "then of course she'd get in. You guys are so stupid if you weren't expecting this."

"Aw, Shouda-san, don't be so mean." one of the girls giggled. "You should hurry, Mikan-chan, the celebration's going to start!"

"What a shame they don't allow boys there though" Anna said thoughtfully. "You don't get to celebrate with everybody."

Shouda smiled. "Right! I'd rather see my darling Natsume-kun for the New Years." She sighed. "I can just imagine, us sharing a warm kiss while snow falls around us…oooh, it's so romantic!"

"Iiyaaa, Shouda-san! I want Natsume-kun to kiss me too!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

Mikan just sighed. Damn Hyuga, she thought wryly. He really does get all the luck.

Her clogs were muffled in the soft snow as she walked towards the middle school principal's den, surrounded by giggling girls. They were all talking about the mochi that they'd make for their loved ones. Mikan can't help but smirk. Looks like Hyuga-kun's gonna need a tub full of antacids.

The faux fur wasn't enough to keep the cold at bay, but nevertheless, she can't help but feel a bit happy. After the mission she'd done at Yokohama a month ago, Z hasn't called for her yet.

"We'll manage without you for now" Yuka had said. "It's too suspicious every time you give a concert, there's a hit from Z." Mikan didn't mind. She needed time to recover anyways.

This was probably the most normal she's ever felt in a long time, surrounded by giggling girls, talking about boys and school and holidays. She allowed herself a small smile. No use thinking about it. Just enjoy it for now.

"Ah, there it is!" one of the girls pointed to the low gate that encompassed the Hanahime den. Someone was waiting for them there. "Mikan-chan."

"Misaki-sempai!"

Soft, chin length hair brushed red cheeks as a perky mouth smiled. "Hey. So you got the invite huh?" She grinned. "Everyone's already here. We were just waiting for you."

"Misaki-sempai, you're part of the Hanahime too?" Anna piped up.

"Yup. Tsubasa asked me to watch over you" she said, winking. Mikan smiled. Tsubasa was overly playful, but he was Mikan's favorite person in Gakuen Alice, and the only one who really treated her as a person, rather than as a tool or an idol. She loved him like an older brother, and he reciprocated her affections.

"Then please lead the way, Misaki-sempai." Mikan waved at the other girls, who would be celebrating for a while at the first floor of the den. "See you guys."

"Bye Mikan-chan! Tell us how it goes."

"Gotcha."

They headed up the winding stairs, and Mikan felt warm air blow in. "It's really great having you here Mikan-chan. " Misaki said. "The Hanahime den is so boring with nobody I know to talk to."

"What about the other himes?"

"Them? They're so boring and staid." Misaki said, huffing. "And way too smart. I'd rather have somebody fun to talk to. Like you."

"Ah, I'm very flattered, sempai."

"As well you should be, cutie." She tugged on a curl, grinning. Mikan smiled back. "I swear, sempai, you act more and more like Tsubasa-sempai day by day. Gonna make him your doppelganger too?"

"Him?" Misaki scoffed and tossed her head. "That guy's useless. I told him that he could come meet you if he was so worried about you entering the Hanahime den, but he just rolls his eyes and runs off. See if I make him any mochi today."

"You could always put some laxative in it, sempai."

"I knew I kept you around for a reason." They laughed, and reached a bamboo slated door. "Well, here we are. Any last words?"

"A few."

"Keep'em after the banquet then." She slid the door open. "Principal. Himes. Sakura Mikan is here." They removed their clogs, and stepped onto the woven bamboo mat covering the room.

Inside sat two rows of twelve girls, facing each other across a long table, all of them with their hands folded on their laps, legs bent underneath them. A flowery perfume of some kind mixed with the aroma of meat and delicacies, placed on lacquered stools in front of each girl.

But at the front sat the most beautiful woman Mikan's ever seen.

Thickly lashed eyes sat half lidded on a smooth pale face, lips touched with just the slightest hint of red. Ornaments swung from hair pins, all of which held up an intricate hairstyle the color of polished ebony as a narrow, red tipped hand held a small decorated fan. She lay on her side on an old fashioned sofa, the red of her traditional kimono contrasting with white skin.

Mikan found herself tongue tied.

"Sakura Mikan huh?" The woman smiled as her fan waved lazily in front of her.

Misaki gave her a little nudge before seating herself near the end of the long table. Mikan had no choice but to walk slowly up to the woman. Stopping before her, she bowed. "Greetings, Principal. I am Sakura Mikan. Thank you for inviting me today to celebrate with you."

"Hmm. Polite and gracious." She hummed and gave Mikan a look over, focusing on her face last. Apparently finding favor in her, she nodded and smiled. "Beautiful as well. My dear, why don't you sit here, by my side? I'm sure Wakamurasaki would also be honored to have you as a dining companion."

"Yes, Principal."

Mikan realized, with a jolt, that Wakamurasaki was none other than Hotaru. She had the same short black hair when she greeted Mikan on that first day a long time ago, and her clear purple eyes were bland and polite. Mikan forced a smile. "Thank you, Principal."

She sat.

As the other himes twittered and ate, Mikan kept her smile in place. The principal didn't seem inclined to speak with her, and neither did Hotaru. She picked at her rice.

"The food is not to your taste?"

Mikan looked over at the principal, whose eyes were focused on her. "Oh, no. I am simply not very hungry."

"Is that so?" Her fan snapped closed. "You eat like a butterfly. Just like this one butterfly I knew."

"A butterfly?"

"Oh yes." She smiled, and her eyes drifted from her face. "This butterfly I'm speaking of, she was kept in a cage. Day in and day out. She wasn't very special in appearance." A rounded shoulder went up. "She was just a normal white butterfly. I rather miss her."

"I never knew you could keep a butterfly in a cage." Mikan stared at the principal. "How was she caught?"

"By a spider." The smile sharpened. "This spider had a very long, very nasty reach. He found out that this butterfly, this plain, small white butterfly, was special in other ways. So he trapped her, and locked her in with the other butterflies. He had to borrow my cage, of course, for he had none."

"How interesting."

"Oh yes. This spider, he would let a few of them out sometimes. Three or four. He didn't want to, but the cage wasn't big enough to fit them all in. But this butterfly, he especially liked. So he planned to keep her in forever."

"I see." Neither Mikan nor the principal blinked. "What happened to her?"

"Ah, well. This little butterfly had a friend. She was one of those butterflies that the nasty spider let out. The little butterfly wanted to follow her. So she escaped. Poof."

"How?"

"Ah, who knows? Maybe there was a…break… in the cage that the spider didn't know about. He's still using it, the fool."

"So why don't you take the cage back? Principal."

The principal shrugged again. Neither was aware that Hotaru was listening intently to the story. "Ah, well, we both know how important public image is, right Mikan-no-kimi? Besides, he only used the secret bottom of the cage. He left the main part for someone else, and only used the darkest part himself."

"I see."

"Yes. But this nasty spider, he collects butterfly eggs as well. And caterpillars." Her eyes slid to Mikan's face. "Of course, he takes them from the main part of the cage, including this one particular caterpillar. It's quite rephrensible, really. Especially as this caterpillar is the offspring of this white butterfly's friend."

"Is she now?" Mikan smiled suddenly, understanding. "Principal, is there a bathroom around here? I would like to freshen up."

"Yes. It's quite a way from this room though." The fan tapped against the edge of the table.

"I don't mind." She said, and rose. The Principal smiled.

"Then please, by all means. Although I'm not the one using the cage, it is still mine. I shall help you however I can."

"Thank you, Principal." Acting on impulse, she bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "I shall relay your message onto the butterfly for you." she said, before walking to the back of the room. "Misaki-sempai, it's ok, I'm just going to the bathroom for a while."

Hotaru paused as Mikan exited, before turning around. "If it is permissible with you, Principal, I shall also excuse myself."

"Whatever for?" The fan was opened, and once again waving lazily in front of its owner.

Hotaru smiled mirthlessly. "I want to make sure that the wings are not ripped off of this particular butterfly." She rose, bowed and closed the door behind her.

The Principal giggled, before letting out a shout of laughter. One of the himes seated on her other side turned from her friend, both voicing concern. "Is something the matter, Principal?"

"Oh no, my darlings, no. Everything is fine." She sat forward, her kimono rustling around her. "Looks like I won't be bored for long anyways."

***

Ever since she came to the Academy, Mikan had heard rumors of an underground basement in the Hanahime den. That was the only thing she could think of in reference to the Principal's story.

"_Besides, he only used the secret bottom of the cage. He left the main part for someone else, and only used the darkest part himself."_

Hyuga Aoi was in the Hanahime den.

She scrunched up the piece of paper in her hand. The principal had snuck it there at some time during her narration. On it simply said "1 fl, Est hall oak dr."

She went to the first floor, and proceeded to scour the east hall for an oak door. It took her a few seconds before she was in front of a panel of dark oak, the knob inscribed with a circle of flowers. Sakura blossoms. There was no lock on the door. Mikan pulled it open.

There was a flight of narrow stairs that led downward, and no light. She had to repress a shudder. The Fire Alice would come in useful right about now. Her hands reached up towards her neck before drawing away.

Hard way it is.

She inched forward, her clogs clicking against the wood of the stairs. She wrinkled her nose as she felt dust cover her palm. Suddenly, a flashlight clicked on behind her. Mikan whirled around. Behind her, violet eyes flashing, stood Hotaru.

"Imai-san!" Mikan gasped. _Shit!_ "What are you doing here?"

Hotaru said nothing as she grabbed Mikan's arm and shoved the cumbersome sleeve to her elbow. Her eyebrow raised. "So you aren't a natural blonde after all."

Mikan wrenched her arm away. "Lots of people dye their hair." she snapped. "It's not a sin."

"As you like." Hotaru slid past her down the passageway, her flashlight held aloft. Mikan hurried after her. "Imai-san, hold on! Where are you going?"

"To the secret bottom of the cage." Hotaru shrugged. "You know, Mikan, you give me much too little credit. I was going to figure it out sooner or later."

"I don't understand what you mean." Mikan said frostily. "And I really don't think you ought to be down here."

"The Principal gave me permission to follow you." The stairs stopped, and Hotaru stood on the bottom step to face her. "The school was quite stupid to not realize that pop stars have stage names. Isn't that right, Azuma Mikan? It was also quite idiotic of them to not check your parentage. Unless your records are faked. Am I right?"

Mikan shrugged. "And if you are? That doesn't prove anything."

"No? The fact that Azuma Yuka has a daughter with Nullification, and how my friend Azuma Mikan has Nullification doesn't prove anything? How many people has that kind of rare Alice?"

Mikan's voice hardened. "This doesn't concern you, Hotaru."

"You can stand there and tell me that it doesn't matter what happens to my best friend?"

"Best friend? Best friend! What kind of a best friend lies to me?!" Mikan shouted. "You never came back, Hotaru! I kept waiting and waiting, and you never came back, you never wrote. I didn't know how you were, or what you were doing!"

"You knew why." Hotaru said calmly. "I wasn't allowed to. But that's not why you're mad right now, is it Mikan?" She shook her head. "No, you're doing this to protect me."

"That's bullshit." Mikan said angrily.

"Yeah? Then you won't mind if I come along." She continued down the dark passageway. Mikan seethed, had no choice but to follow.

They wandered around in silence for a long while, hitting locked rooms and dead ends. There were several barred windows at the top, around three inches in height that let in a shaft of gloomy light. It was still snowing outside.

Their clogs were muffled against the dirt floor as their sleeves trailed out behind them. Mikan had to stifle her impatience. The main path twisted and turned more the farther on they walked.

Hotaru stopped and held a hand back. "Hush. Do you hear that?"

She strained her ears. "Someone's singing."

"Let's go."

They broke into a careful run, hitting three more dead ends before Mikan saw a flickering glow ahead. "Ah."

"Yeah, I see it." Hotaru flicked her flashlight off as they inched forward slowly.

There was a stand of candles next to a heavy door. It was no solid oak, but industrial steel. There was a window that was also barred, and both Mikan and Hotaru had to jump to see in.

A little girl with hair as black as Hotaru's sat inside. She swiveled her head in surprise as she saw two heads bob up and down outside her door.

"She looks exactly like Hyuga from our class." Hotaru said. Mikan just clenched her fists together, and tried to teleport in.

It wasn't working.

"I think they have a Barrier on that door."

Hotaru looked at Mikan with pity. "There's a Barrier in the entire den, Mikan. Haven't you noticed?"

"No. Oh wait…" Mikan thumped her head with a hand and sighed. How could she have forgotten that the principal was a Barrier Alice?

Hotaru just shook her head, and withdrew a thin box from her sleeve. "I could break in, but it'll cost you."

"What? You can?" Mikan watched as the box flipped open. Inside were a set of thin wires , steel picks, and pieces of metal pounded flat to resemble teethless keys. "Is that…Hotaru! What the hell are you doing carrying lock picks with you in the Gakuen?!"

"Why can't I?" She bent down to study the keyhole before murmuring and picking out two thin wires and bending them. "Just a standard tumbler. Idiots…"

"Hotaru…"

"Shut up, Mikan." She inserted the wires in before twisting them around. Mikan looked at her friend in disbelief. "I'm working."

Hotaru smiled as she heard an audible click. She pulled the door open.

Inside the small cell, a bright light shone down from a source in the ceiling, as machines beeped in the background. White covers were pulled across a small bed, and a table beside it held books and notebooks. The walls were whitewashed, and the floor stone.

Sitting on a chair, bewildered, was a little girl, who held a pencil in her slack hand.

"W-who are you?"

She looked to be 11 or 12, and wore a slightly overlarge school issue uniform that bagged around her skinny frame. Big red eyes widened against a pale face as her hand clenched nervously around the pencil.

"Hyuga Aoi-san?" Mikan asked softly. She felt Hotaru twitch behind her.

The little girl gaped. "Y-yes. Do I know you? You seem familiar." She suddenly jumped up. "Did Persona send you? Did he say I can leave?"

Mikan shook her head. The girl deflated. "Oh."

"I'm sorry." she said. "Um…who are you?"

"Oh. This is Imai Hotaru. And I'm Sakura Mikan."

"I knew you were familiar!" Aoi smiled. "You're Mikan-chan!"

"Yup. But before that…do you know if there's any path we can take to go outside?"

Aoi struggled not to frown. "Oh, you're…you're leaving?"

Mikan slanted her friend a look. "No. Hotaru is." Before Hotaru could say anything, Mikan grasped her hand. "Please. Go to my room to wait. It's 426, three doors down from yours. I'll explain everything to you as payment for getting us in here."

"Fine." Hotaru turned to Aoi. "Then I shall go first."

Aoi bit her lips. "Um, ok." She tugged on Hotaru's sleeve. "If you walk left a bit, you'll see a door. If you unlock it and turn the knob left, you'll see a flight of long steps leading to the side of the Hanahime den. But I think only Persona has the key."

"Don't worry about it." Hotaru patted her hand. "I'll be waiting, Mikan."

She turned left and walked away.

Mikan tugged Aoi back. She could see the yearning need for freedom on the girl's face. "Hyuga-san…"

"Oh no, please. Call me Aoi." She turned to Mikan and smiled. "Sit down, please. I don't know why Mikan-chan would be visiting me here of all places, but I won't complain."

Mikan took a chair by Aoi, and fought with herself mentally. "Well, how to explain…"


	6. Doll to Control

Hi! Wow, how long as it been, a week? I'm really sorry! I was working on both this story and my other one that's currently ongoing (Little Cinderella, go check it out if you like La Corda d'Oro), but due to a lot of stuff cropping out, I haven't been able to get to it. I'm really, really sorry! And I can't even promise not to do it again, because guess what? Finals are coming! Joy.

So, I can't keep to a regular weekly schedule anymore. Shoot, I don't even know if I could keep to a monthly one. I'll work on both whenever I have time, but if not, then again, I apologise in advance. Still, for those who did review, thank you so much! You know who you are ;)

Anyways, please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5: _Doll To Control_

_

* * *

_

Two little girls sat in a cage, one of them crying and trying unsuccessfully to wipe her running stream of tears onto the baggy school regulation sweater.

The other bent forward, brassy blonde locks sliding onto her face. "Aoi-chan."

She cried harder.

"Aoi-chan." Mikan laid a hand on a slight shoulder and shook lightly. "Come on. Pull yourself together."

"O-okaa-san. She's still alive!" Aoi looked at Mikan, her face drenched and confused. "O-otou-san said that okaa-san d-died, but she's still alive!"

"Yes." Mikan said. "I'm sorry for telling you like that Aoi-chan. But you understand why Kaoru-san did that right? She knew that she was going to die at any moment doing the things that she do, so she wanted you and your onii-san to forget her sooner."

"But it's not right!" Aoi cried. "It's not right, it's not right! Okaa-san shouldn't-I missed her so much. Oh!" Big eyes the color of glittering rubies stared at Mikan in mixed fascination and horror. "Mikan-chan, you work for Z too…you're also in danger…"

Mikan just shook her head. "You can't afford to worry about me right now. We have to get you out of here." She looked around the room, its comforts meager at best.

"Get me out?" Aoi said breathlessly. "W…what did okaa-san say about that?" She saw Mikan stiffen up, and her face fell. "Oh."

"I'll persuade her somehow."

"I…I don't understand, but Mikan-chan, if okaa-san said we shouldn't…then…we shouldn't. I don't want to get Mikan-chan and okaa-san in trouble!"

"Aoi-chan..." Mikan shook her head again. "I told you, you can't afford to worry about other people now. You don't have much time…your health-"

"But I don't want to see anyone else in danger because of me!" Aoi cried. "Already, Natsume-niichan is out there fighting for me. He said so! I don't want anyone else to do what niichan has to do!"

Mikan fell silent, and Aoi sat there, hiccupping slightly. After a while, she spoke up again. "Do you think Hyuga Natsume would be happy to see you sickly and locked up? What about how your mother feels? With you gone from here, he wouldn't have to do missions in your place. With you gone from here," she said, her voice hardened, "Kaoru-san won't have to worry about whether or not she's doing the right thing, or worry about if you're happy in your cell, or if they are treating you right. She wouldn't have to continue to reason as a Z agent or as a mother."

"I…I…" Aoi stammered.

"Think about it." Mikan rose from her chair. "I'll give you some time before I visit again." Aoi's face was bleached white, and Mikan felt a moment of guilt for pushing. "I'm sorry, Aoi-chan, but it had to be said." She turned to go.

"Wait! Mikan-chan, please wait." Aoi jumped up from her seat too and rushed forward. "I'm sorry for reacting like this. It's just …" she twisted the helm of her baggy sweater, and Mikan's face softened.

"Aoi-chan, I'm not blaming you for anything. It is a lot to take in. That's why I'm giving you some time. I need some myself."

"Ara…thank you Mikan-chan." Mikan reached the door, and turned back to shut it closed behind her. She heard Aoi's voice float between the bars of the door. "But…why are you helping me?"

Mikan stood with her front to the steel door, her face hidden. "I…I respect Kaoru-san. A lot. That's all." She then spun around and ran out, ran out until she felt the cold blast of the snowstorm hit her flushed face.

"That's all."

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

Ruthlessly styled blonde hair swiveled as the shoulders beneath the old fashioned hunter green army uniform straightened. "Enter."

He saw hair a few shades deeper than his own fair color hair tied up in two pigtails, and was assaulted by images.

"_Kazu-nii! Hey, Kazu-nii, look, isn't it neat…?"_

_Bright hair glistening underneath the sunlight as the man waved to him._

"_Aren't you boiling underneath that uniform, Kazu-nii? Take it off!"_

He blinked, and the images faded away. Instead of a man laughing in the sunlight, it was night, and there was a small girl standing in the middle of his office.

Bold green eyes stared at him directly. "Principal. I requested an appointment to meet with you, and the school heads told me that you would be here today."

"Ah…" He knew this little girl. Not from the television, not from the photographs he saw of her in the paper, but from another pair of eyes that had stared at him just as directly, a long long time ago. "Sakura Mikan."

She smiled. "Yes sir."

He turned his head to the side, and the wound he'd carried all these years bled afresh. "I have kept your other Alices secret from them. That is the only safety I can offer you. There is nothing more I can do. Go back."

"No." Her voice firmed, and her lips straightened. "No, it is not. Uncle."

"Do not call me that." he said somberly, although his heart nearly cracked in two when she did, a myriad of mixed emotions threatening to burst free. "What if others hear?" His eyes avoided her own reproachful ones.

"Fine. Principal." _My father's family. The only family he has left. _"I only have one request to make of you, and I will never appear before you, ever again."

He sighed. "What is it?"

"Give me the key."

* * *

_He wound his way through the maze of trees, clear rainwater pooling in hollowed out trunks and in patches of fallen leaves. Birds trilled here and there, creating a symphony of music, sweetened by the filtered sunlight from overhead. This was much different from the lake on the hill before._

_He continued to walk, bare feet undampened by the wet loam. He heard the gurgle and bubble of water, and walked towards it._

_And sure enough, she was there by the river._

_Something silver accented the narrow white fox mask she wore this time, matching the dress she wore. Natsume thought the simple and elegant feel made an interesting contrast against her earthy brown hair and eyes. He saw that she held something in her hands._

"_Where do you get these locations?"_

_She lifted her face towards his, and smiled. "The best things about dreams is how you can just anywhere you want, without the hassle and the bugs. Isn't it beautiful here?" she added. "If you don't like it, then we can always switch for something else."_

"_No, this is fine." He sprawled by her on the riverbank, and dipped his feet in the cool water. "It's just creepy how imaginative you are."_

"_There's a compliment in there somewhere." she said. Natsume just shrugged. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "What was the last time you visited? A month ago?"_

"_Why? Did you miss me already?" she teased. He frowned as something in her expression caught at the edge of his mind…_

"_Betsuni." He shrugged. "It just got boring, with the same nightmares. A guy can get sick of faces oozing blood at him every night, you know."_

"_Oh. I'm so sorry." There was a small smile playing around her face now. "I didn't know that I was missed. Sure, I'll come visit more."_

_He turned his head, embarrassed. "Sure, whatever." He looked at her, and saw that she had a brush in one hand, and a doll in other."What are you doing?"_

"_Brushing her hair. This darling's been rather neglected, so I made friends with her today." The doll had short black hair, and was dressed in a blue kimono splashed with white flowers and a yellow obi. His companion turned the doll towards him, and he saw that the doll had big, big eyes, the same shade as his._

"_I haven't thought up a name for her yet." she said cheerfully. "Would you like to pick something, Natsume-kun?" He only stared at it. "Natsume-kun?" she prompted._

_He jerked. "Aoi." It came out in a whisper._

"_Aoi. Oh, that's a very pretty name." She smiled happily, and held it up. "Aoi-chan. You must be a good girl, Aoi-chan, and live up to your pretty name. Be healthy, happy, and wise. And most of all" she said softly. "You mustn't make onii-chan cry."_

_She looked at him, and he felt very disoriented. What was happening here?_

"_Well, it's Aoi-chan's nappy time. I must put her to bed, and give her a good night's rest. So that she can think about it."_

_He stared at her now, his mind still trying to comprehend. It looked like Aoi. It was Aoi. But why…what-_

"_I, I don't-"_

"_Don't worry, Natsume-kun." She sat next to him, and wrapped an arm loosely around his shoulders. The doll was tucked in the crook of the other arm. "I'll do all I can for Aoi-chan. Pinky promise."_

When Natsume woke this time, he turned to his desk. And sure enough, there sat a doll wearing a blue kimono, a spray of forget-me-nots tucked in its bright yellow obi.

* * *

She waited.

Day after day, she waited, putting on dozens of masks for the benefit of her classmates and teachers, doing her work with her head down, her mind anywhere but in the classroom. If Rouka-sensei knew that Sakura Mikan was daydreaming instead of paying attention to her studies, she didn't comment on it.

The fact was, Mikan was avoiding her. Kaoru knew that there was something big Mikan was hiding. She wanted to use her Information Gathering Alice to uncover whatever it is Mikan feels that she should have no knowledge of, but it was no use against nullification.

So they played a small side game of cat and mice as she waited.

January passed to February. One cold day found Mikan sitting with Aoi at the table with Hotaru. Mikan had told her everything, almost daring her to back out. Weeks later, she was still surprised at Hotaru's calm acceptance of her lifestyle.

"I do not agree with what either side is doing." Hotaru had said in her calm, yet thoughtful way after Mikan had finished explaining everything. "Yet I shall help with whatever it is you are fighting for."

Mikan remembered the frustrations of getting Hotaru to back down. "It's dangerous." she said flatly. "No concern of yours." She even threatened to steal Hotaru's Alice. Hotaru had not budged an inch.

"Do it," she said flippantly. "Perhaps then I'll get to go back home a couple years earlier. God knows Momma and Poppa are worrying. Even with Subaru here."

Mikan sighed as Hotaru chatted with Aoi. "And this," she said, pulling out a robot with bright red eyes, "is Companion ver. 2. It can sing, dance, cook, wash, clean, and even change your bedding."

"Sugoi!" Aoi looked at Hotaru, eyes shining. "Hotaru-chan, you're a genius!" She laughed as the robot started a tap dance routine, right on the table. Mikan just snorted. "Hotaru, your laziness is showing again."

Hotaru said nothing, but her eyes took on a steely glint as she took out something hoof shaped.

They had spent several day with Aoi like this, just chatting and relaying bits of news and stories about Natsume. "I haven't seen onii-chan in so long." Aoi sighed. "It's been years. I wonder if he still remembers me?"

"Hyuga doesn't seem like the stupid type." Mikan remarked idly.

"Oh no. Onii-chan is so smart!" Aoi cried. "Not as smart as Hotaru-chan, but he gets really good grades and everything, and he doesn't forget things at all!"

"Well, there you go." Hotaru said patiently. She stopped, and suddenly dug into a canvas bag she had with her. "Well, I suppose you really want to know how your brother is doing for himself, huh?"

"Oh, yes!" Aoi said. "Yes! I want to see onii-chan again! I miss him so much…" Her eyes suddenly watered.

Hotaru just shook her head. "I never saw the appeal of older brothers." she said lightly. "They're a big pain in the ass, but…" She stopped digging, and uncovered a weird flat device. It had a screen on the top, and a numbered dial pad at the bottom. "It's a tele-link." Hotaru said. "Unfortunately, it can only communicate up to four hundred kilometers. I've never been able to make it go further, but for our purposes, it shall be enough. I'll give the second one to Hyuga-san," she said gently. Aoi's face brightened. "I only made two, and they only connect with each other."

"So I can see onii-chan again!"

"Yes."

They left, Mikan frowning. She didn't like the idea of having Hyuga Natsume knowing that someone got through to his sister.

"You're a pushover, Hotaru." Mikan said, sighing. Hotaru's eyes widened innocently. "I, a pushover?"

"A patsy, a soft touch, marshmallow heart, softie." Mikan said, irritated. "Should I go on?"

"That will do." she looked away for a moment. Then, "I know what it's like to miss family."

At this, Mikan looked away too. There was silence before she broke it. "Fine. Give him the communicator-"

"Tele-link."

"Whatever the hell it is." she continued. "But don't let Hyuga Natsume know that I had any part of finding Aoi. Tell Aoi not to even mention me. I don't want him to look at me any closer than necessary."

Hotaru just shrugged. "If you say so." She turned back to Mikan as they reached the front doors of the middle school female dormitory. "Mikan."

"Hmm?"

She looked down, looked up. Sighed. "I know you don't want people to know we're connected in any way. But…if you need help of any kind…well, even if you do not ask," she said defiantly, "I'm going to help. You got that?"

Mikan could only stare. This was the most impassioned she'd ever seen Hotaru get. Her heart swelled, and she turned away from Hotaru so that it didn't show on her face. "I understand." she said. "You can help me with Aoi. She needs a friend, and I cannot always be there for her." Her emotions under control, Mikan tilted her head back. "But after I move Aoi out…that's my time to work alone again." She walked away as she said it, leaving Hotaru behind, a determined look on her face.

* * *

The alarm squawked erratically as he woke up, and let out a shout. "Oh no oh no oh no! I'm going to be laaaaaaaaaaatee-" His voice was muffled as his shirt went off, glasses askew. The alarm pecked him halfheartedly and sunk down, snoring. Ugh, it's time to get a new one from Central Town.

He nearly tripped over his pajama pants, and shucked them off in a hurry. "Crap crap crap, I can't be late, crap" he chanted, pulling on his academy issued slacks. "Rouka-sensei's gonna make me clean the trash bins again." he muttered to himself, rushing out of the door, hair sticking up.

His tie waved around his neck as he ran to the middle school from the boy's dormitory, briefcase under his arm, his sweater wrinkled and inside out. The robot caretaker honked at him as he ran by. "Hey! I told you to get a new alarm clock! Damn kids…"

His legs hurted from the long sprint from the dorms to the school building, and he arrived with a clatter, clutching at a stitch. "Owww…" Just as he pushed the doors open, the bell rang, signaling end of homeroom. He groaned. Sensei was gonna get him for this.

The hall flooded with students, each following their own schedules as according to their Alice classifications. He blushed as Anna filed out of the classroom they shared. "Oh, hi!" She said brightly. "There you were! Did you oversleep again?"

"Something like that."

She giggled. "That's bad, you know? But you got lucky, sensei didn't notice you were absent. I told her you had an upset stomach, and you were at the nurse." she whispered to him. "She seemed to be a bit preoccupied this morning, so maybe she won't notice." She leaned away from his ear, and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Anyways, I'm off to the Somatic Abilities class! You should hurry up and catch up with Nanoko, she left a little bit before me. Something about speaking with Misaki-sensei…"

"Uh…ok. Thanks, Anna-chan." he mumbled, his face the same shade as a hothouse tomato. "I owe you a big one." She just waved merrily to him before bouncing away, her hair swinging behind her. He groaned again. Why, _why_ is he always such an idiot around her?

He sighed, and rubbed at his face before turning back around. The hall had thinned out during his conversation with Anna, and so he made his way to the Technical Abilities class at the place reserved for its students.

He walked forward, distracted by Anna when he suddenly heard someone call out. "Sakura-san."

"Yes?"

Oh. It's Mikan-chan. She's really friendly for a celebrity, and had even helped him with choosing ribbons for a gift he wanted to give to Anna for her birthday. She stood with Hotaru-san outside of the class, and he was about to call out, when simple shock had him closing it again and ducking behind a pillar. She was with the executive aide to the High School Principal, Imai Subaru!

And Hyuga Natsume-san walking down the corridors towards them.

What happened next was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen in his life spent at Gakuen Alice. At a look from Mikan, Hotaru took out a weird device out of her bag of tricks that made her so famous as an inventor at the Gakuen, and made a beeline for Natsume just as he was a couple of yards from Mikan. He looked at her in surprise, one short brow rising up. "Imai."

"Hyuga-kun." Hotaru replied politely. "Would you come with me for a moment? I have something to talk to you about."

"Me?" His gazed cut through her, zeroed in on Mikan. She just smiled and waved at him. "Yeah, sure." He turned around, Hotaru following him. Only to stop after five steps. "Tell me here."

Hotaru stopped. "Here?" she said uncertainly. "Don't you want to go somewhere more private?"

"Imai-san." Subaru said somberly. "That is unnecessary. I'd rather you stay here with Hyuga." He turned, and effectively blocked Mikan from the other two. They whispered to each other to a moment, Subaru shaking his head at intervals, before sighing and reaching into his pocket. Natsume saw a glimpse of something small and golden, before it disappeared in Sakura Mikan's skirt.

Hotaru, meanwhile, was trying unsuccessfully to distract him. "Hyuga-kun, I heard it was your birthday."

"Mmhmm." He strained his ears, trying to listen to the other conversation. He normally didn't care about what others do with themselves, but there was something very very odd about the transfer student…

"…and I got you a present." Hotaru finished, trying to get his attention back.

The other brow went up. "You got me a present."

"Yes." She smiled at him, unperturbed. "Hold on-"

She took out a small device, and held it out to them. Natsume saw Representative Imai break off in the middle of a sentence as Sakura Mikan shook her head at him. Imai gestured angrily behind him, but apparently Sakura wouldn't back down. She kept her hands in her pocket, and turned down the hall.

He bit back a groan of frustration, and looked at Hotaru. She was still holding the weird cellphone like thing to him, as if expecting him to actually take it. "Uh…thanks. I guess."

"Well, I do hope you like it." she said lightly. "It's made especially for you, of course."

"Is that right?"

She took it back, and pressed a series of numbers on the pad. "Of course, I wouldn't make it if wasn't for this friend I have. Here, you should talk to her."

"Imai-"

"Here." She handed it back to him, and he sighed. _I don't have time for this, dammit._ The screen turned blue for a minute, before it crackled, and someone came onto the screen.

"Hello? Onii-chan?"

Behind the pillar, his eyes went wide as he watched Natsume suck in a hard breath of air. "Aoi."


End file.
